Grassrootsmotorsports $2006 Challenge...

THE PUNISHER · Post by **THE PUNISHER** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 12:34 pm

Well with the Fiero close to completion Myself and 2 friends have bought a car for the $2006 Grassrootsmotorsports challenge.

The Victim is a 1988 Mazda RX-7 . The car is 100% Rust free low mileage car. 4 piston front brakes, the bigger swaybars , LSD. The previous owner bought it with a blown motor and did all the prep for a 350 Chev..>But never did the swap. The car sat in his garage for 2 years un touched..The original mazda motor and tranny are long gone. The car has about 60,000 miles on it.

The Plan. a Nice Junkyard (oxy moron??) 350 with a light rebuild and an auto tranny. No doubt some of you are shaking your heads right now saying ..why convert a manual car to Automatic. Well Manual trannies aren't cheap , Auto's do better @ drags and will stand up to a 150 Shot a lot easier then a manual would. My fear would be running into problems with clutches being burned up @ the drag strip and maintenance. a Nice TH350 or 400 can take shitloads of abuse. I can remember watching roger Johnson Running his Yellow 86 Vette (automatic) to many SCCA titles , so...auto's can be made to work.

For an engine , I would like something with Vortech IRon heads. They seem cheap and plentiful and make assloads of power with the right combo of cam and intake...

Were bring the car home tomorrow afternoon , I will take some pics...

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

JM

GmetalGT · Post by **GmetalGT** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 4:21 pm

What are the rules of this challenge?

My buddy has a small block 406 short block sitting in his garage he will let go for probably pretty cheap.

THE PUNISHER · Post by **THE PUNISHER** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 4:25 pm

I can only spend $2006 on the car , The RX7 cost us $500 CDN , so about $400 ish US dollars.

How cheap is Cheap?

GmetalGT · Post by **GmetalGT** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 4:57 pm

I can find out for you tomorrow when he come back from a cruise. He just bought a house and borrowed alot of money from people for the down payment so you may be in luck. He is running a 406 in his 92 camarro and runs 10's on the bottle and 11 with out. He lives in Tampa so if things work out you san send shaun to get it.

Post by **eHoward** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:07 pm

I bought a 91 civic hatch for $100 but sold the axles for more then $100 so we officially have a $0 basis in it with the intention of turning it into a challenge car, but when they changed the rules we put the project on hold.

Actually have a four point nine that we picked up for $1 with trans for it too. And a bunch of other stuff.

JM, I can make you a smoking deal on some brand spanking new Hoosiers that are in my basement if you're interested. Since the rule change they're only legal for the drag part of the competition though. Mike can probably make you a deal on a SBC block and heads if you're interested.

Good luck.

THE PUNISHER · Post by **THE PUNISHER** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:08 am

Picked up 4 free Falken Azensis tires 225/45/17 , 2 Toyo RA1's 235/40 17 and a holley carb on the weekend. Due to cost and availability I think We are going with a 5.0ltr Mustang setup. It wasn't so much that I can't find a 350 , it's that no one wanted an auto tranny , aqnd a t-5 firebird tranny is weak.

JM

GmetalGT · Post by **GmetalGT** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:30 pm

My friend still has the 406 block but sold the pistons and crank, so that isnt good for you.

Also, Mustang T5's are week also, 3ed gear mainly. I went through 6 in my mustang. Hope you get a good one.

THE PUNISHER · Post by **THE PUNISHER** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:36 pm

GmetalGT wrote:My friend still has the 406 block but sold the pistons and crank, so that isnt good for you.

Also, Mustang T5's are week also, 3ed gear mainly. I went through 6 in my mustang. Hope you get a good one.

I want a 5spd , what can handle the power thats common?

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:37 pm

use a isuzu tranny. a fwd one. That will hold 383 cubes plus nitrous.

Just ask Tina

Kohburn · Post by **Kohburn** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 1:05 pm

Shaun41178(2) wrote:use a isuzu tranny. a fwd one. That will hold 383 cubes plus nitrous.

Just ask Tina

for a couple passes after having the gears cryo treated..

and the 1st to 2nd gear rpm drop is horrible for staying in the powerband

the 3.65 4speed is still my favorite tranny other than highway cruising - i still haven't seen anyone break a 3.65 - only the older weaker case

GmetalGT · Post by **GmetalGT** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:37 pm

THE PUNISHER wrote:
GmetalGT wrote:My friend still has the 406 block but sold the pistons and crank, so that isnt good for you.

Also, Mustang T5's are week also, 3ed gear mainly. I went through 6 in my mustang. Hope you get a good one.
I want a 5spd , what can handle the power thats common?

The next step up is a World class T5, came in the 93 cobra stock and are available everywhere, but not for a budget. The stock T5 can handle the compitetion if you get a good one. The only problem is most of these mustangs have been beat to death. You just have to be careful of that 2ed to 3ed power shift, especialy on a worn T5. It will sound like a Bomb when it gives. The slugamatic in the stang is no better, just slower.